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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · court · bear · cabinet · pound · chair

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. court — for sport
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. court — of law
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com